The French president tested positive for covid-19. Just yesterday, Emmanuel Macron met with the Portuguese Prime Minister in Paris, regarding the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union. The two had lunch together.
“As established in the sanitary recommendations in force, the President of the Republic will isolate himself for seven days. He will continue to work and ensure activities at a distance”, reads the official statement issued by Eliseu.
Macron’s infection caused the Portuguese prime minister to go into prophylactic isolation and thus cancel the entire public agenda.
In the social network twitter, António Costa says he is in “preventive prophylactic isolation until the health authorities assess the degree of risk”.
Due to the confirmation of the positive test of the French President @EmmanuelMacron, with whom I was yesterday at the Eliseu Palace, I am in preventive prophylactic isolation until the health authorities assess the degree of risk. pic.twitter.com/V0D4mHsr8S
– António Costa (@antoniocostapm) December 17, 2020
“Due to the confirmation of the positive test of the French President Emmanuel Macron, with whom he was yesterday at the Elysee Palace, the Prime Minister is in preventive prophylactic isolation until an assessment of the degree of risk by the health authorities”, says one note issued by the prime minister’s office.
He adds that “as part of the preparation for the visit to São Tomé and Príncipe and Guinea Bissau, scheduled for December 18 to 20, the Prime Minister conducted a test to detect Covid-19 this morning” and “decided to cancel this visit. , as well as any public agenda that involves your physical presence “.
The office adds that António Costa “does not show any symptoms” and “maintains all executive activity and the work schedule, which he will carry out remotely”.
In another tweet, the Prime Minister reinforces that he feels “well and without any symptoms”, so he maintains “all executive activity and the work agenda at a distance”.
I decided to cancel and travel to Africa, as well as the entire public agenda that implies my physical presence. I keep all executive activity and the work schedule at a distance. I feel good and without any symptoms.
– António Costa (@antoniocostapm) December 17, 2020
António Costa was expected to meet today with all the ministers in the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
More people in isolation
However, Le Monde reports, citing the Senate President, French Prime Minister Jean Castex, has gone into isolation.
It is not only in Portugal that the news is generating apprehension. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who met with Macron on Monday in Paris, has just announced that he will be in isolation until the 24th, reports El Pais.
“After the information provided by the [Palácio do] Eliseu that the French President, Emmanuel Macron, tested positive in the covid-19 test, the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, will suspend all his activity scheduled for the next few days, in accordance with health protocols “, according to a statement from press of the office of the head of the Spanish Government.
The President of the European Council has also announced that he will go into isolation after being with the French President. In a post made today on the social network Twitter, minutes after the infection of Emmanuel Macron was known, the spokesman for Charles Michel explained that the president of the European Council “was informed by the French authorities that he is not considered as a close contact” , but “as a matter of precaution, it will go into prophylactic isolation”.
(News updated at 11:42 am with statement from the Prime Minister’s Office)
–